In the city of Resistencia, Chaco province, the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) participated in the opening day of the 28th Scientific and Technological Communication Meeting of the National University of the Northeast (UNNE). The opening ceremony was chaired by Council Chair Anna Franchi, Council Member and Undersecretary of the Science, Technology and Innovation Union of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MINCyT), Luz Lardoni; Technology Link Director, Sergio Romano and Director of the CONICET Nordeste Scientific and Technological Center (CCT), Maria Cristina Region.
During the inauguration, Franchi referred to the youth present as “the hope and the future” and motivated them to be part of building an inclusive and sovereign country through their professions. “For this to become a reality and for you to be convinced that science and technology can be your future, there needs to be continuity in science public policies, financing and construction of buildings, as we do through our Equip and Build Science projects.” In addition, he stressed that science and technology are fundamental rights and that it is necessary to continue to demand quality assurance in academic training.
He concluded: “I thank you for your work, your commitment, and the quality of the presentations that we will present, and I ask you to continue forward, so that we go for more science and technology in the service of the nation.”
In her turn, Luz Lardon referred to the federation of the 2030 Science and Technology Plan that CONICET and MINCyT are jointly working on. “The human right to knowledge production and management falls under the plan, where regional agendas are integrated. Each jurisdiction in the country has decided where to place science and technology in its development agenda, and in this way we have different measures of how to deal with the production of scientific and technological knowledge and innovations” . It also highlights the work between public and private institutions, the multiple agreements in various provinces, and national agencies that have made this space possible, and the benefits of the federal RAICES program.
For his part, University of New England President Gerardo LaRosa reaffirmed the university’s commitment to promoting research. “Science has no homeland, but men and women of science exist, and they have to fight for their progress. These days, continuing over time and reshaping them, are a small big contribution to this fight that we must carry out for the progress of our country and our region,” he said.
During the opening ceremony, MINCyT’s National Director of Technology Development and Innovation, Carolina Mera, introduced the federal RAICES program. It should be noted that through this initiative, six CONICET researchers in Chaco and Corrientes will participate in the institutional strengthening plan, which will allow them to train in biotechnology in two of the most important laboratories in the country.
In this sense, the Director of the Northeast CCT CONICET, Maria Cristina Region, highlighted the importance of implementing this type of program, which strengthens federalism and trains highly qualified scientific teams for the various provinces of the country. “We are proud that this group of researchers has access to training opportunities that will contribute to the advancement of our region,” he said.
The meeting was also co-presented by the Vice-Chancellor of UNU, José Pastera; Secretary-General for Science and Technology of the United Nations University, Laura Leyva; Secretary of Science and Technology of the National University of Misiones, Pedro Zapata; Minister of Science and Technology of the Corrientes Province, Jorge Antonio Gómez; Corrientes County Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Institutional Coordination Michaela Stephanie van der Ward; Chaquinho Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation President Juan Martín Fernández; Ecosystem and Governance Coordinator at the Chaco Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation, Sergio Lapertossa; Directors and Vice-Presidents of the Combined Institutes of Northeast CONICET and the scientific community.
Three conferences were presented on the opening day of the meeting. The first was led by CONICET researcher and director of the Rosario Institute for Biotechnology and Chemical Processes (IPROBYQ, CONICET-UN), Hugo Menzella, and was titled “Bioeconomics. From lab to factory.”
Subsequently, Luz Lardone presented the Federal Innovation Projects (PFI 2023). In conclusion, Director of Technology Links at CONICET, Sergio Romano, delivered a lecture entitled “Technology-based companies. University innovation in the future of national development.”
